Человек-невидимка / The Invisible Man
Шрифт:
Suddenly the stranger raised his gloved hands, and said. “Stop!” with extraordinary violence. “You don’t understand,” he said, “who I am or what I am. I’ll show you.” Then he put his hand over his face and gave Mrs. Hall something which she took automatically. Then, when she saw what it was, she screamed loudly, and dropped it. The nose – it was the stranger’s nose! pink and shining – lay on the floor. Then he took off his spectacles, his hat, and pulled at his whiskers and bandages. Off they came.
It was worse than anything. Mrs. Hall, standing open-mouthed and horrified, shrieked at what she saw, and ran to the door of the house.
Every one began to move. They were prepared for scars, disfigurement – but nothing! The bandages and false hair fell to the floor. Every one saw the figure up to the coat-collar, and then – nothing, nothing at all!
People down the street heard shouts and shrieks, and looking up the street saw a crowd running out of the “Coach and Horses”.
They saw Mrs. Hall fall down, and Mr. Teddy Henfrey jump over her.
Everyone all the way down the street began running towards the inn, and in a short time a crowd of perhaps forty people gathered in front of the “Coach and Horses”. Everybody talked at once.
A few minutes later they saw Mr. Hall, very red and serious, then Mr. Bobby Jaffers, the village constable, marching towards the house. Mr. Hall marched up the steps, to the stranger’s door and found it open. Jaffers marched in, Hall next. They saw the headless figure, with bread in one gloved hand and cheese in the other.
“What the devil’s this?” came an angry question from above the collar of the figure.
“I have a warrant here, mister,” said Mr. Jaffers.
“Keep off!” said the stranger. Off came his glove, and was thrown in Jaffers’s face. In another moment Jaffers gripped him by the handless arm. He was kicked on the leg, but he kept his grip. The stranger was now headless and handless – for he had pulled off his gloves.
It was the strangest thing in the world to hear that voice coming as out of nothing. Jaffers took out a pair of handcuffs. Then he looked helpless.
“Damn it! Can’t use them!”
The stranger unbuttoned his coat. Then he started doing something with his shoes and socks.
“Why!” said Hall suddenly, “that’s not a man at all. It’s just empty clothes. Look! You can see inside his clothes. I could put my arm —”
He stretched his hand; it seemed to meet something in the air. “I wish you’d keep your fingers out of my eye,” said the angry voice.
“The fact is, I’m all here: head, hands, legs and all the rest of it, but I’m invisible.”
The suit, now all unbuttoned and hanging on the invisible body, stood up.
Several other men had now entered the room, so it was crowded. “Invisible, eh?” said Jaffers.
“It’s strange, perhaps, but it’s not a crime. Why am I attacked by a policeman?”
“Ah!” said Jaffers. “No doubt you are a bit difficult to see in this light, but I got a warrant and it’s all correct. What I’m after isn’t invisibility, it’s burglary. Somebody has broken into a house and taken money.”
The figure sat down and took off the shoes, socks, and trousers.
“Stop that,” said Jaffers, suddenly realizing what was happening. He gripped the coat, it struggled, and the shirt slipped out of it and left it empty in his hand. “Hold him!” said Jaffers loudly. “When he gets the clothes off —”
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